Policy Priorities for Development of Muslims in the 11th Plan: An Assessment
There were no concrete policies for minority communities until 2005-06, when the Government of India initiated specific measures for improving the socio-economic status of minorities, especially Muslims. Prominent measures included the Prime Minister’s New 15 Point Programme and Multi-Sectoral Development Programme or MSDP. Findings of the study reveal that problems of appropriate programme design, inadequate spending priority and subsequent poor fund utilisation are related to the bottlenecks in implementation of these schemes. The paper suggests that adequate financial resources, appropriate programme design and effective implementation be given priority for development of minorities.
